Brenda Campbell

Practice

Brenda has a busy and varied practice in all areas of criminal defence and inquests. In criminal law she consistently achieves successful outcomes in cases she has undertaken both in her own capacity and while being led as junior counsel. She has a vibrant practice in the Crown Court with focus on serious crime. She has a particular interest in representing women, children and those with mental health problems. She has significant experience representing those who are unfit to plead and / or cannot effectively participate in their trial.

Brenda has defended against accusations of murder, terrorism, kidnap, false imprisonment, conspiracy to rob and firearms, robbery, drugs, immigration and dishonesty offences, including serious fraud. She has regularly been instructed to represent in protest cases. Additionally she has an active Appeal Court practice, regularly advising on and arguing appeals against conviction and sentence in the Court of Appeal.

In addition to her criminal practice, Brenda undertakes inquest work. In 2005 she represented the mother of Gareth Myatt, a child who died following restraint in the privately-run Rainsbrook detention centre - reported to be the longest inquest into a death in prison custody.

Click here to read HHJ Pollard's Report to the Secretary of State for Justice
Click here for more info Gareth Myatt Inquest

Brenda has worked extensively in the field of human rights, both nationally and internationally. With a focus on women's human rights and the rule of law, Brenda works closely with organisations such as IWRAW Asia Pacific, the Kurdish Human Rights Project and the Bar Human Rights Committee. She represents IWRAW Asia Pacific on the Steering Committee for the NGO coalition for the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic Social & Cultural Rights. Having been an active participant in the drafting process at the United Nations Palais des Nations in Geneva, she is now involved in the global campaign for the ratification of the OP.

In recent times she has travelled on behalf of the Bar Human Rights Committee to Kabul, Afghanistan to deliver a 3 day workshop on the rights of women and children. Click here to read more . On behalf of the Kurdish Human Rights Project she travelled to Iraqi Kurdistan to deliver a cross border training on the rule of law and to South Eastern Turkey to deliver training on the rights of women and to undertake a fact-finding mission. On behalf of IWRAW Asia Pacific she has participated in conferences and training courses in Nairobi, New York, Warsaw and Geneva. She is a regional trainer on the use of the CEDAW Convention and its Optional Protocol.

Publications:

Contributing author to Blackstone's Guide to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.

Notable cases include:

Murder

• R v Cross & others, Central Criminal Court, January -
  March 2009. Represented one of seven defendants accused of murder and attempted murder following a shooting at Streatham Ice Rink. Acquitted at half time.
• R v Sutton, Central Criminal Court, May 2009. Allegations of attempted murder following a shooting in which the victim was shot in excess of 14 times and named the defendant as a perpetrator. Unanimously acquitted.
• R v Uddin & another, Central Criminal Court, July 2009. Allegations of murder and wounding with intent following the death of a waiter at an East End Indian Restaurant. Acquitted of murder, convicted of manslaughter.

Terrorism

• R v Gassama & others, Leicester Crown Court, January 2008 - Conspiracy to kidnap and behead a British, Muslim soldier. See

Drug Importation

• R v Christopher Lewis & Chad Kirnon, Croydon Crown Court, May 2009. Represented a semi professional basketball player accused of importing class A drugs with an ex-England Cricketer - both running cut throat defences.

Appeals

• R v Gordon & Others [2007] EWCA Crim 165 re the operation of and interaction between s 67 of the Criminal Justice Act 1967 ("the 1967 Act") and s 240 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 ("the 2003 Act") and the impact on the sentencing process of time spent by defendants in custody on remand.
• R v Carl O'Brien [2007] EWCA Crim 311, re the unworkability of short-term tariffs for IPP sentences.
• R v Tugwete [2006] EWCA Crim 2290 re the imposition of a sentence of imprisonment on a single mother convicted of dishonesty offences.
• Mark Bucknell v DPP [2006] EWHC 1888 (Admin) re dispersal directions under the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 s.30.
• R v James (Desmond) [2006] EWCA Crim 1810 re the imposition of an Anti Social Behaviour Order following a lengthy prison sentence.

Background

Brenda studied at Queen's University, Belfast and before practicing at the London Bar, Brenda maintained a varied practice at the Northern Irish Bar, including crime, judicial review, inquests and employment law. She frequently combines work and travel and in December 2008, in combination with her attendance at the International Strategy Meeting on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Nairobi, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of Just for Kids Law.

Societies

Criminal Bar Association, Inquest Lawyer's Group, South Eastern Circuit, Executive Committee Member of the Bar Human Rights Committee.

Updated October 2009

Year of Call

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